Ozzie returns to Marlins dugout humbled, contrite

MIAMI -- Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen returned to the game he loves a little more humble and a lot more guarded about what he'll say to the media.

Guillen said he hopes the fans forgive him for his comments about Fidel Castro, though he conceded that not everyone will.

"I just said what I had to say a couple days ago," he said. "What I said, I meant it. I believe it. I hope people do believe it. I don't expect everyone to be 100 percent on board with me. I don't. That's the way life should be. But what I talked about last week, it was from the bottom of my heart ... if you ask me the same thing in 10 more years, I'll have the same answer. You learn a lot. You learn how people support you -- the players, front office, the fans, Latino people.

"There's a lot of support out there. Some people are still going to be upset. I don't blame them a bit."

Guillen said he knows that whatever he does to repent, "to some people, it's not going to be enough."

But he vowed not to change his personality.

"I learned a tough lesson, very tough," he said.

Will Ozzie still be Ozzie?

"Yes," he said, "Just be careful what you talk about."

Guillen said he stayed in Miami during his suspension and people were nice to him wherever he went.

"So far, so good," he said.

Guillen may be booed Tuesday night when he comes out of the dugout, though he's not sure what the reaction will be. He said he's been booed before, albeit in much different situations.

"This one might hurt a little bit more," he said. "Maybe I'll be a little bit more embarrassed, but I hope through the days, through the weeks, I'll resolve this problem and move on and win some games. That's what we're here for."

Guillen said he was never worried that the pressure on the Marlins organization would force them to fire him for the comments.

"For that?" he said. "You know what? I've never been worried about being fired from my job -- no matter if it's here, there (in Chicago) or any places. You know why? Because what I said (during the apology), it was the truth."

He said the Marlins supported him throughout the situation, despite the pressure from local Cuban-American groups.